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Carlton snapped after 'torrent of filth'

Ex-Fairfax writer Mike Carlton admits he responded to a reader backlash about a column on Gaza with foul language, but thinks an apology should have been sufficient.

Mr Carlton had come under fire over his July 26 column on the Israel-Hamas conflict, but senior Fairfax Media executives have declared it was his reaction to reader criticism - which reportedly included telling several correspondents to "f*** off" and calling one a "Jewish bigot" - that was out of line.

On Wednesday the long-time journalist spoke out about his resignation, telling ABC Radio he was "sick of being stuffed around" by his former employers.

"I thought I'd come to an arrangement whereby I would apologise to offended readers and I would continue to write for the paper," Mr Carlton said.

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"Then I got a call later at night from someone higher up the Fairfax food chain just stating quite blandly, `We are going to suspend you for four to six weeks to consider' - and I don't know what to consider, because I said, `Don't go to any trouble, I've just resigned', and hung up."

He said a "torrent of filth" from as far afield as the US and Israel pushed him over the edge.

"I got a fortnight of abuse and threats of violence - `you filthy piece of Jew-hating Nazi slime', `people like you started World War II', `Catholic Jew-baiter' and so on ...

"Once or twice I snapped and hit back. We do that in this country. Occasionally you go and tell people to get effed."

But he agreed he probably should have stayed shtum in the face of abusive letters from readers rather than respond in kind.